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Monday, September 17, 2012

Being the paint lover and DIYer that I am, keeping all those painting supplies organized is very important to me. So this week, I decided it was time to tackle a couple of projects to help me be a little more efficient when it comes to whipping out a quick paint project.

The short answer is, in some cheapo white baskets on the top shelf in the laundry room.

For over a year now, the baskets have been doing their job keeping the supplies wrangled and concealed {clear bins would add visual clutter}. But it stopped there. Every single time I wanted to whip out a quick project, I would pull every bin down and search for the specific supply I needed. Where did I toss the paint can opener the last time I used it? Which bin had my favorite paint brush? We need to quickly fill a hole in the wall, where is that spackle again? Guessing and searching isn't my idea of a good time, especially when I just want to get the project wrapped up. And without labels, the baskets were never guaranteed to make their way back to the same location on the shelf.

So, I started out by loosely categorizing each bin, and sorted accordingly.

Caulks, putties and adhesives in one, miscellaneous painting tools in another and paint applicators in the third.

I brainstormed all sorts of labeling ideas. Luggage tags, laminated labels, etc... but in the end, there didn't seem to be straight forward way to label all of the contents that were in each bin; there were so many miscellaneous items in each one that I would never be able to read the small print from down below.

A simple 1, 2, 3 label would do the trick. I like how they look, and I could just create a simple reference list down at ground level.

Each basket received a spray painted house number, and the contents in each basket were listed on a printable I quickly whipped up.

I decided to hang the list in a frame since it is a laundry room and it is exposed to lint and cleaning supplies and sprays. Since the contents of the bins rarely change, it would be no biggie to pull it out of the frame and add to the list.

Now I know what is in each bin without question! Time to get painting!

A labeling system that is easy as 1, 2, 3! {Sorry, couldn't resist!}

This method could be applied in so many areas around the home, I especially love the idea of using it for managing storage bin contents in a garage or storage room. We also use the 1, 2, 3 system frequently around the home for the kids and it has been a huge time life saver! Each kid understands their birth order number and everything from their bathroom hooks to their water bottles are labeled with their designated number. Quick, easy and effective!

How has a numbering system worked for you in the past? Do you looove it as much as I do?

72 comments:

You are a genius at organizing... I love or in your words, I heart your blog so much. I am starting to become little organized from a completely unorganized person. If you ask any of my college friends, they would vote me as the messiest person on earth. But now, little by little I am coming along. I am thinking of putting this '1,2,3' system in my moving (coming up next week :))

Such a great system. I love labeling things, but sometimes there is just not enough room to capture everything that's in a basket or bin on the label. Plus, this great for bins that are still evolving! Great idea, thanks for sharing!

This is amazing. You are my inspiration. My house is much, MUCH less organized than I would like it to be. But by reading your blog I get the inspiration (and tips) on how to make ym home more organized.

Hi, can you tell me where you got the basket that is hanging under your frame? I have been looking for one just like it. I love the idea of this labeling system. I may try it in the garage or even the attic!

Jen do you find the stuff in these baskets gets dusty? I find that everything in my open bins gets dusty, especially in the laundry room. Do you have to clean off your paint brushes each time (you probably paint more than I, so there probably isn't time for the dust to settle). :-)

It was a little complicated, but we basically screwed through the plastic and used a washer and bolt in the backside. Since the screw was still a little long, we used our Dremel to cut it down. You could place a small piece of wood inside the basket to screw into, or use thing picture hanging wire vs. screws.

I keep smaller laundry care items in the boxes, such as clothespins, shout wipes, dryel items, etc... You can see more here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2010/06/june-featured-space-laundry-room-little.html

Hi, I am not sure how I stumbled across your blog, but I signed up immediately for email updates. It's probably been 2-3 weeks, and I am in blog- love. Your guest posts as well as your posts have been such fun to read. I have been inspired to tackle the hallway overflow closet. Just taking a quick break from it, and saw this great post. This is a great idea! Thanks so much.

What a great idea! Of course I have questions--What color did you spray paint the numbers? Is it the same color on the wire basket below the framed contents list? If not, what color did you use to paint the wire basket?

Love this idea - never tried it, I should, especially for those difficult to remember knick-kancks around! I always forget what's inside my baskets - I guess outta sight, outta mind is something that is common to everyone. Thanks for sharing!

This makes me feel better. I did something similar for boxes I have up in my daughter's closet. My hubby thought I was a little nuts but now I know I am normal! ;) Your laundry room is so happy and perfect. Lovely my dear.

I'm a new at-home mommy, but before this I was an elementary school teacher for a couple years. While juggling all 20 of those kiddos, I used a pretty easy numbering system--

At the beginning of the year, I placed all the kiddos' first names in alphabetical order. After that, I labeled each kiddo 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.. As the year began, I taught to kids to write their name and number at the top of each work assignment. Why, many people might ask?

Because when reviewing these samples and grading them, putting them into order 1-20 is SO MUCH easier than having to think, after your long day, is Maleia M. comes before/after Malia B. ;-)

And it helped two fold when sending the papers home-- since their cubbies were ordered 1-20 and labeled as such, it was easy for me to pass out the papers (which were already in order because of grading!). And it should also be mentioned that in a 1st grade classroom where not all the kiddos could read, it was simple for 'helpers' to pass out the papers to the cubbies as well, because they all knew their numbers 1-20!

I'm a new at-home mommy, but before this I was an elementary school teacher for a couple years. While juggling all 20 of those kiddos, I used a pretty easy numbering system--

At the beginning of the year, I placed all the kiddos' first names in alphabetical order. After that, I labeled each kiddo 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.. As the year began, I taught to kids to write their name and number at the top of each work assignment. Why, many people might ask?

Because when reviewing these samples and grading them, putting them into order 1-20 is SO MUCH easier than having to think, after your long day, is Maleia M. comes before/after Malia B. ;-)

And it helped two fold when sending the papers home-- since their cubbies were ordered 1-20 and labeled as such, it was easy for me to pass out the papers (which were already in order because of grading!). And it should also be mentioned that in a 1st grade classroom where not all the kiddos could read, it was simple for 'helpers' to pass out the papers to the cubbies as well, because they all knew their numbers 1-20!

This is a great idea. At our house a lot of things are color coded rather than number coded. My kids each have a color so green hooks/bins/baskets are for my oldest, blue for my middle and pink for my baby. It has been such a time saver around here.

Love your blog. I was wondering what all the cleaning products are in the wire basket? I know your blog is centered on organization but I would love to see a post on natural cleaning products that save space and work.

I really like it as I am on the short side and could never reach the bottom of our top loader. This is much easier on me. I also like that there is no agitator for clothing to become stuck on, our clothes seem to last much longer in the newer machines.

Every time I see your laundry room, I literally drool. Our washer & dryer are in the garage and we have plans to do some work out there to make it more like a laundry room/area. Seeing your laundry room makes me want to start today so I can have such a pleasant place to do the neverending chore that is laundry :)

These days, Timberland for fall 2012 is the best that can be collected for the fall. With the arrival of autumn and winter days, people would like to wear fall Timberland Boots with beautiful design and color combination, very good and very impressive.

I love all of your organization!Just wondering where you got the SOAP decal and the picture frame for your laundry tips? I bought a jar with lid for my soap powders and I would love to find a pretty decal for it.Thanks for all of your inspiration!

I love your floating shelves! I'm working on making my own for my laundry room (which I just painted the Behr Light French Grey, LOVE IT!!!)and I was just wondering why you decided to switch to the corbels from Home Depot and what size they are? I'm in the process of picking some out right now. I love your decorating style even though mine is primitive/country and I've gotten soooooo many great organizing and decorating ideas from you :)I'm not sure if I should go with the ones you have now, or something like what you had before? What do you think?

Great eye! I originally went with the less expensive version and that is what I got. They were a bit cheap feeling and flimsy for my liking, and I ultimately wanted something more substantial and chunky feeling. I love the new ones oh so much more. Now, I am just trying to figure out where to pop the old ones or how to turn them into something functional. :)

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